TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gojek has been permitted by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and the Ministry of Health to proceed with importing 5 million masks set to be distributed to their drivers and the Anak Bangsa Bisa Foundation.

The addition of 5 million imported masks, Gojek believes, ensures that the current availability of masks and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the country can solely be allocated to hospitals working to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Gojek is the first on-demand company to obtain this import permit," said Gojek President Commissioner Garibaldi ‘Boy’ Thohir through a press release, on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Boy Thohir continued, places millions of Gojek drivers on the frontline as a vulnerable group whose safety and health need to be ensured, as they continue to interact with other people in their daily task of delivering food, staples, medicines and other items for the community.

"Gojek has made various efforts to provide PPEs so that they (gojek drivers) can work to their best abilities and minimize the risk of transmission," he said.

With Gojek having distributed PPE to tens of thousands of their drivers in 1,300 location points in various cities in Indonesia, Gojek has been taking an active role in supporting the Government's efforts to handle the COVID-19 outbreak.

In addition, Gojek Chief Operations Officer Hans Patuwo added that the company did not want to interfere with the availability of masks and other PPEs constantly required by the health personnel working to handle COVID-19 positive patients.

As Gojek recognizes the importance of ensuring that health workers still get the required supply of masks, the imported masks will also be donated to the Government, geared to be allocated for medical personnel in COVID-19 referral hospitals.

EKO WAHYUDI | DIO SUHENDA (INTERN TRANSLATOR)